Mattress-stuffing machine



, 2 sheets-sheet 1.

(No Model.)

E. N. STEPHBNSON.

MATTRESS sTUPPINe MACHINE.

' N0. 376,399. Patented Jan. 10, 1888.

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(No Moden) 2 sheets-sheen 2,

. E. N. STEPHENSON.

MATTRESS STUFPING MAGHINE.

No. 376,399. ngla/entedJem. l0, 1888.

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UNITED STATES PATENT Orricn.

EDWIN N. STEPHENSON, OF `WAGO, TEXAS.

MATTRESS-STUFFING MACHINE.

` SPECIFICATION :forming part of Letters Patent No. 376,399, datedJanuary 10, 1888.

Application filed June 13, 1857. Serial No. 241,168. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN N. STnPHENsoN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Waco, in the county of McLennan and State of Texas, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in llIattress-Stufling Machines, ofwhich the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to a machine forxstuffng mattresses whichis simple in construction, efficient in use, and can be adjusted toadapt it for molding or making mattresses of different sizes.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of parts,hereinafter fully described, and then set forth in the claims.'

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of amachine constructedA Fig. 2 is a rear angular box of any desired lengthand width,

which is built upon a framework of vertical posts, 2, and cross-bars 3.A top, 4, is tltted to this box 1, and it is hinged on a transverse ironbar, 5, running between two of the upright posts of the framework. Thistop 4 is made of longitudinal slats held together by cross-slats 6,which go through suitable eyes or keepers on said longitudinal slats. Bypulling out these crossslats one or more of the longitudinal slats canbe removed, so as to give a lesser width to the cover, and then theparts are again secured by substituting shorter cross slats. Oneof thesides of the box 1 isstationary and the ot-her one (marked 8) ismovable,so as to permit the width of the box to be varied.

From the movable side wall, 8, project horizontal pieces or arms 9,which are securely fastened to the side wall and pass through mortisesin short posts 10 of the frame-work. Rack bars or plates 11 are boltedto .the arms 9,and into these racks mesh pinions 1`2,which are securedon a longitudinal shaft, 13, journaled in the posts of .the frame-work.The shaft 13 has a crank, 14, forturning it so as to move the side wall,8, inward or outward, to diminish or increase the width'of lhe box. A

spout, 14a, arranged at the front of the machine, is made of twoshell-shaped seotions,which are fitted one within the other, so that bymoving these sections together more or less the width of the spout canbe varied. One of the sections of the spout is secured at top and bottomto the frontoftransverse pieces of wood, 52,

running horizontally between the posts 2 and gained into the same. Inrear of these pieces of wo od,52,other pieces,53, are secured and thefront and rear pieces are connected by bolts 54. The box 1 is supportedby the rear pieces, 53, and a guideway is formed between the differentpieces for receiving a gate,15. Thelatter is in the form ofa steelslab,which moves vertically in guide-grooves of the front posts oftheframe-work and passes down into the space between the pieces 52 and 53.These front pieces prevent the steel slabfrom being pushed out into thespout when a mattress is beingpushed up to the proper shape. Iron rods34, arranged one above the other, extend 'between the posts 2 and arefastened to the same. These rods are fastened at short intervals to theupper piece of wood,53, by means of upright iron bolts 34. These boltshave two rings or eyes, 34", one a few inches above theV other, throughwhich the long rods 34 pass. Y

The vertically-sliding gate is connected, by means of suspension-rodsand chains 16, with a hand-lever, 16, which is pivoted on a hanger, 17,on the front cross-bar of the frame-work.

yA chain or rope, 18, with a handle, 19, is connected with the lever,and serves to operate the same.

Within the box 1 is arranged a transverse plunger or head, 20, which isadjustable in width so as to fit the size of the box. This adjustmentmay be effected by making the plunger in twoparts, one of which hasslots connected with the other part by screws, as indicated in Figs. 1and 5. The plunger' is carried by a longitudinal rack-bar, 21, whichpasses in a rearward direction from the machine, and serves for movingthe plunger 20 forward and backward. In posts 21a is journaled atransverse shaft, 22, 'which carries a large spur-wheel, 23, and apinion, 24. The latter gears into the rack-bar, and is held on the shaft22 by a key and groove in such a way that it can be shifted to disengageit from the rack-bar. (See Fig. 6.) A second shaft, 25,

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journaled in other posts, 26, has a crank-han dle, 27, and carries aspur-wheel, 2S, which engages with the spur`wheel 23. On the shaft 25 isalso fitted a wooden spool or sheave, 29, which is secured to the shaftby a key and groove, Fig. 7, in such a way that it can be loosened toallow the shaft 25 to revolve without such spool. A rope, 30, connectedwith the latter, passes over a guidepulley, 31, on the top of theframework, and runs downward to the sectional cover, where it issecured.

To the spout at the front of the machine I fit top and bottom cross-bars, 32, which are held together by spiral springs 33, arranged at theends of the spout, said bars being pivotally connected at their ends tothe machine-frame by arms 33C. The transverse metal rods 34, spanningthe space between the front standards of the frame-work, serve as thefulcrum-point of a lever, 35, that extends in a rearward direction, andwhen depressed is slipped between or under cross-pins 36 on a verticalstandard of the frame-work. The object of the two rods 34 is to hold thepoint of the lever 35 when the top of the box is being forced down intoposition. Two rods are used, in order to vary the thickness ofthemattress.

The operation of the machine is as follows: The box and cover beingadjusted to suit the size of mattress cover or ticking to be stuffed andthe cover being raised to a perpendicular posit-ion the machine is readyfor work. The gate is then lowered, and then there is placed in the boxof the machine whatever material the mattress is to be made of. The topor cover is then lowered by releasing the spool from the shaft, and thiswill obviously unwind the cord to allow the top or cover to descend. Theend of the lever 35 is then placed under the cross-bar 3l, and bydepressing it the top is forced down, so as to bring it on a level withthe top of the spout at the front of the machine. Then, by turning theshaft 22 the pinion 24 will serve to move the rackbar so as to move thedriving-block or follower up to whatever length of lnattress isrequired. The spiral springs 33 at each end of the spout are thennnhookcd from the bars 32, and the tick or mattress cover is forced overthe spout, whereupon the springs are again fastened, so that the twocross-bars held together by said springs will hold the tick in positionwhile the mattress is being run out. The tick having been fastened inposition, the gate in the spout is raised so as to uncover the passageto the interior of the box. Then, by moving the follower by therack-bar, the mattress will be forced out through the spout into thetick in proper shape. After the filling has been forced into thetick,the spool is moved on its shaft to engage the key, the rack-bar isdrawn back, and the cover is again raised to allow the box to befilledwith material.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim isl. In a mattressstuffing machine, the combination, with the box, the movable cover, theplunger, and the discharge-spout, of vertlcal guides, avertically-sliding gate guided by the latter intermediate the box andspout, and between which and the follower the stuffing material iscompressed, and means for moving the follower and holding themattress-tick on the spout, substantially as described.

2. In a mattress-stuffing machine, the combination, with the box, thehinged swinging cover, the plunger, and the dischargespout, of verticalguides, a vertically-sliding gate guided by the latter intermediate thespout and box, and between which and the plunger the stuffing materialis first compressed, and a lever connected with the gate for elevatingit, substantially as described.

3. In a mattressstuffing machine, the combination of the box, the spout,the hinged swinging cover, the plunger, the rack connected with theplunger, the shaft carrying a pinion and a spur-wheel, the shaftcarrying the spool and spur-wheel, a cord or chain connecting the spoolwith the cover, the verticallysliding gate moving intermediate the boxand spout, and between which and the plunger the stuffing material iscompressed, and means for holding the mattress-tick on the spout,substantially as described.

4. In a mattress-stuffing machine, the combination, with the box, theplunger, and the spout, of the two cross-bars arranged, respectivcly,above and below the spout and springs connecting the said bars anddrawing toward each other to clamp the tick on the spout, substantiallyas described.

5. In a mattress stuffing machine, the combination, with the box, theplunger, and the spout, of two swinging crossbars arranged,respectively, above and below the spout and pivotally connected with themachine-frame and springs connecting the said bars and drawing themtoward each other for clamping the tick on the spout, substantially asdescribed.

G. In a mattress stuffing machine, the conlbination of the box, thepresser-head, the rack-bar, the spur-wheel, and pinion-shaft, thedriving-shaft, spool, rope, and movable cover, substantially asdescribed.

7. In a mattress-stuffing machine, the com bination of the box havingthe movable side provided with rack-bars, and the shaft with pinionsgearing into said racks, with the follower or presserhead and the spoutand the cover, substantially as described.

8. In a mattressstuffng machine, the combination of the transverse rodsand eyebolts with the box, the presser-head, the movable cover, and thelever capable of having its point vmade to engage with either of thetrans- Verse rods, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

E. N. STEPHENSON.

Witnesses:

C. C. BARRETT, H. I. KUNDE.

ICO

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